‘Bising’ becomes a super typhoon; Bicol and Samar under Signal # 2
The year’s second tropical cyclone has worsened to a super typhoon, threatening the eastern parts of Luzon and the Visayas with “intense rains” and “severe winds.”
In its latest weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Typhoon “Bising” (international name: Surigae) slightly decelerated as of 5 o’clock AM Sunday morning, April 18, while maintaining its destructive strength.
It registered maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (km/) near the center and gustiness of up to 265 km/h.
The center of the eye of typhoon was located at 400 kilometers east of Catarman, Northern Samar or 470 km East of Juban, Sorsogon as of 4 o’clock this morning.
Typhoon Signal 2 has been raised over Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Catanduanes provinces as well as other parts of the Bicol and Southern Tagalog regions.
While not foreseen to directly hit land, PAGASA said flooding and flash floods, including rain-induced landslides are likely to occur in the said areas.
Northern Samar Governor Edwin Marino Ongchian has ordered a province-wide forced evacuation of all coastal communities, following a pre-disaster risk assessment meeting Saturday afternoon, a provincial disaster risk reduction and management office announced on Facebook.
PAGASA said it is not ruling out a closer approach of Typhoon Bising to Luzon mainland as its travels north-westward at 15 kilometer per hour.
Supertyphoon Bising is forecast to stay within the Philippine area of responsibility for the entire week. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)